Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have announced a recall of 4.5 million vehicles spanning back to 1992. A mixup in the manufacture resulted in the “self-immolation” button being labeled “cruise control.” In all seriousness, though, a vehicle fire could occur on these models, so be sure to check this out.
fire
Recalls: Your Subaru Baja May Self-Immolate
By 7.31.09
It is our solemn duty to inform you that your Subaru Baja could be trying to light itself, and by extension, you, on fire.
Citgo Employees Smoke Cigarettes At Gas Station, Are Apparently Fireproof
By 7.22.09
Maybe these guys know something about the risks of combining fire and gasoline that we don’t, but we’re pretty sure that you’re not supposed to smoke at a gas station. Reader Chris didn’t think so either, and he sent us these pics of employees taking a smoke break at his local Citgo.
iPods Are On Fire — No, Really
By 7.22.09
iPods aren’t only en fuego on the sales charts, but a 15 have been reported catching actual fire as customers used them.
Slim Jim Factory Explodes, Kills Three, Requires HazMat Team
By 6.11.09
A ConAgra plant near Raleigh, N.C., that makes and packages Slim Jim beef jerky was rocked by a huge explosion on Tuesday, killing three employees and sending dozens of workers and three firefighters to hospital with severe burns or “exposure to toxic fumes.”
Man Causes Thousands In Fire Damage After Walmart Refuses Return
By 6.5.09
After Walmart wouldn’t let him make a return, Phillip R. Wright, 41, of Monroe, Louisiana, pictured, left, looking disgruntled and pretty “arsony,” set a men’s clothing rack inside the store on fire.
Seattle TV Station Offers Delicious Accidental Chicken Barbecue Recipes
By 6.4.09
Seattle TV station KIRO, like a lot of media organizations, has sponsored links on their front page. This is all well and good, since you have to pay for the camera(wo)men and the antennae and the pixels somehow. The problem is that sometimes sad news stories and contextual advertising lead to… hilarity.
HP Calls About Pants Burnin' Laptop
By 5.21.09
HP called Consumerist about our inquiry about Jillian’s sparking and flaming HP dv2845se laptop adapter that she says burned a hole in her pants and caused a welt on her leg. Jillian had also alleged that HP customer service, regular and escalated, was both unresponsive and rude. HP told us….
United Sets Woman's Luggage On Fire
By 2.11.09
United may be trying out a new revenue idea: the don’t-set-my-bags-ablaze fee. Shannon Tadel’s luggage was incinerated as she boarded a plane in Syracuse, NY on December 1st, 2008. The cool thing about this sort of story is she got to see the inside of a cockpit! The not so cool part is what happened next:
Comcast Bills Man For Self-Immolating Cable Box Of Doom
By 12.12.08
If your Comcast cable box starts a fire in your home — should you be responsible for paying to replace it?
By 12.9.08
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In which Consumer Reports employees harm themselves or their real estate with consumer products, part 2. In this episode, a CR staffer’s son uses the stove’s self-cleaning feature without removing a plastic cutting board from inside the oven. Yes, the fire department was involved. They had to pull the range out of the kitchen and leave it to cool in the driveway. Awkward. [Consumer Reports]
Batteries From Dell, Toshiba, and HP Laptops Recalled
By 10.31.08
35,000 laptop batteries from laptops sold from 2004-2006 have been recalled for fire and burn hazards. There have been 17 fires and 2 burns associated with these batteries, so if you’ve got one, make sure you take care of this issue.
Comcast: Fire Destroyed Your Cable Box? Pay Up.
By 8.21.08
Here’s one more thing to worry about when a fire destroys your home — Comcast.
iPod Nano Explodes While Charging
By 8.17.08
Reader D’s first-gen iPod Nano was chugging power from his PC’s USB port when suddenly he saw it “explode open and start shooting sparks and spewing smoke.” Pictures inside, along with Apple’s response.
After Your House Burns Down, Verizon Wants You To Use Your Melted Phone To Forward Your Calls
By 8.1.08
Whoever or whatever they’ve got working the phones at Verizon doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “fire.” As in, “my house burned down and everything inside it is melted and charred.” It’s not a difficult concept, but James’s father in-law was unable to explain it to Verizon.
